Dmitry Tymchuk, Head of the Center for Military and Political Research, Coordinator of the Information Resistance group, Member of Parliament (People’s Front)
01.24.2015Translated and edited by Voices of Ukraine

Operational data from Information Resistance:

The situation in the conflict zone in Donbas remains extremely tense. After unsuccessful assaults and losses incurred on the Krasnohorivka–Avdiivka stretch, the Russian-terrorists forces command moved their efforts to the north of the stretch, attacking from the Ozeryanivka –Mykhailivka line in the direction of Troitske. As a result of the battle, the enemy moved forward and occupied the settlement of Krasnyi Partyzan, but was unable to advance to Troitske, having found itself under the fire of the Ukrainian artillery.

At the same time, the enemy is amassing its forces in the area of Yasynuvata. In particular, a task group of Russian-terrorist troops arrived (according to our preliminary data, a combined BTG [battalion task group] with a reinforced tank company from the one of the mechanized infantry brigades of the RF Western Military District) in the area (between Yasynuvata and Panteleimonivka). The task group includes up to 25 combat fighting vehicles (CFVs, including BTR-80 and BMP-2), as well as a two-battery mixed artillery battalion (6 D-30 howitzers and 6 MLRS units of BM-21 “Grad”).

As a result of intense artillery fire, Russian-terrorist artillery groups operating in Donetsk and north of the city have expended a substantial portion of their ammunition. Based on our observations, some of these units are changing firing positions, and all are actively receiving supplies of munitions, delivered from Russia to Donbas by railway and then, by motor transport, directly to the [enemy] positions.

On the Krymske–Slovyanoserbsk stretch, fighting has continued throughout the past 24 hours – between advance units of Ukrainian troops who are defending the Siverskyi Donets river line and springboard, and formations of insurgent and Russian troops who attempted attacks. Both sides actively exchanged artillery fire. We observed extensive use of armored vehicles and artillery by the enemy. Namely, up to 25 tanks and 40 other armored vehicles are operating in the area between Novotoshkivske and Smile settlements, as well as a Russian-terrorist artillery group consisting of 35 artillery units (including 12 units of the BM-21 “Grad” MLRS). In this area, the enemy prefers to operate with several small maneuverable strike groups, trying to bypass and block the positions and checkpoints of Ukrainian troops. In turn, Ukrainian troops are delivering a heavy barrage of artillery fire, and repel any enemy groups attempting to pierce the Ukrainian lines with brief and powerful counterattacks.

After regrouping formations operating in the seaside sector, the command of Russian-terrorist troops has [once] again attempted to initiate active offensive operations north and northeast ofMariupol, with the primary focus on the stretch between the settlements of Chermalyk – Pavlopil – Sartana [Donetsk region]. The enemy strike task group operating in this area uses a single control center to coordinate its activities with a tank group operating directly in the Mariupol direction. The control center in question is located north of Novoazovsk. On the advanced positions, the enemy amassed about 30 armored vehicles (including 8 tanks) in the area of Pavlopil, and up to 15 armored vehicles (including 6 tanks) near Mariupol. Overall, between 800 and 1,000 insurgents and Russian mercenaries operate in the Mariupol direction.

Directly on the Ukrainian-Russian border in the vicinity of Novoazovsk, is a concentrated reserve of Russian-terrorist forces intended to replenish any potential losses in the event of an offensive and to resupply advancing task groups (including the [already] deployed additional artillery systems, armored vehicles and “infantry” units – mostly insurgents, who recently underwent training in Crimea and Russia). The overall capacity of this reserve approximates the size of a combined motorized battalion task group.